Gonzaga lands No. 1 recruit Chet Holmgren while Jalen Suggs declares for NBA

Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs won’t be teammates in college, as they were in prep school, but they combined Monday to reinforce the notion that Gonzaga has more than arrived as an elite basketball program.

Holmgren, the nation’s No. 1 recruit, confirmed he was committing to the Bulldogs, who are fresh off a nearly undefeated season in which they lost in the final of the NCAA men’s tournament. In attendance at Minneapolis’s Minnehaha Academy for Holmgren’s announcement was Suggs, who followed that by declaring for the NBA draft after a stellar freshman season.

A consensus top-10 prospect last year as a do-everything point guard, Suggs became Gonzaga’s highest-ranked recruit before hitting one of the most memorable shots in NCAA tournament history. The 7-foot-1, 195-pound Holmgren, who has impressive skills as a shooter, shot-blocker and ballhandler, was an even more coveted player.

Advertisement

Assuming he would not turn pro immediately and spend a year in the G League, Holmgren was widely expected to choose Gonzaga. He had offers from a host of heavyweights (per 247 Sports), including Baylor, which defeated Gonzaga in the national final. Other noted suitors included Florida, Kansas, Michigan and North Carolina. Per reports, he had also considered Georgetown, Maryland, Memphis, Minnesota and Ohio State before following the path to Spokane, Wash.

“How close I am with Jalen, and him going there, definitely played a part in it,” Holmgren said of his decision. “Being able to speak with somebody that I’ve known for so long and trust is definitely a big part.”

Holmgren is expected to quickly follow Suggs into the NBA as a one-and-done college player. For next season, though, Holmgren is excited about Gonzaga’s history of featuring players with “skill sets similar to mine.”

Advertisement

“It was their consistent approach, how versatile they are on the court and their offensive style,” he said. “They take their talent and tweak their system based on their personnel. They know how to put it all together.”

“I’m extremely excited for him. Chet’s been like a little brother to me,” said Suggs, who first played with Holmgren when the latter was a scrawny third-grader on a youth-league team coached by Suggs’s father. They went on to win three state championships together at Minnehaha Academy.

“I know he’s going to love Gonzaga,” Suggs continued. “I know the campus is going to embrace him with open arms. I can’t wait to see him over there next year.”

The 6-4 Suggs averaged 14.4 points for Gonzaga last season, with 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals. A consensus second-team all-American, he helped the school reach its second Final Four and, once there, kept live the Bulldogs’ hopes for a perfect season by hitting a half-court shot to oust UCLA in overtime.

Advertisement

Gonzaga’s dream ended on the doorstep of immortality but, amid a throttling by the Bears, Suggs played well, scoring a game-high 22 points. Over the course of the season he emerged as a likely top-five pick in July’s NBA draft.

“Super excited — I can’t wait to take this next step in my journey,” Suggs said Monday on ESPN, adding that he had signed with an agent. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I’ve been a little kid. To be here now is a little surreal, but I’m ready to get going.”

Gonzaga will also lose senior Corey Kispert, a first-team all-American, and possibly Drew Timme, a sophomore and second-team all-American who improved his draft stock in the tournament. However, Gonzaga is likely to enter next season as one of the top-ranked teams, and not just because Coach Mark Few might welcome back experienced contributors such as Joel Ayayi, Andrew Nembhard and Anton Watson.

Jalen Suggs at Chet Holmgren's commitment ceremony earlier today:

"I know he's going to love Gonzaga... He's going to play his heart out. There's nothing that he won't leave on the floor and they're going to love that out there. I can't wait to see him go flourish." pic.twitter.com/5Q0X6ua1KR

In addition to Holmgren, the Bulldogs landed Hunter Sallis, a 6-5 guard rated by some as a five-star prospect. He also could also become a one-and-done player, which would provide no greater evidence that Gonzaga has hit the big time in college basketball. Four-star recruit Kaden Perry, a 6-9 forward, is a further part of what 247 Sports has ranked the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class.

Advertisement

That tops a 2020 class that included four-star prospects Dominick Harris and Julian Strawther, along with Suggs, for what was considered at the time the best haul ever at Gonzaga.

Holmgren, Sallis and Perry were named last month to the 2021 USA Nike Hoop Summit Team. Other national accolades earned by Holmgren include the Morgan Wootten award as the national player of the year, the Naismith High School Trophy and, following in Suggs’s footsteps, Minnesota Mr. Basketball honors.

“Chet is going to be a great addition to our program, and all of us are looking forward to getting to work with him and starting the next step in his career,” Few said. “He is a big-time winner, comes from a great family and will be a great teammate.”

“It’s a perfect fit, the way they play in space and play with pace,” Holmgren said of Gonzaga. “I don’t want to end up getting bogged down and stuck in the half-court stuff. I want to get out and run, get out and play fast.

Advertisement

“It’s more of an NBA-type style of play, which I want to learn and excel at.”

Read more:

Slowed and sidelined, some athletes struggle to return from long-haul covid

Maryland basketball assistant DeAndre Haynes leaves program to join Marquette staff

Fatts Russell wanted to join a championship-caliber team. At Maryland, he might have found one.

Can men’s college gymnastics be saved? Minnesota is trying, even on its way out.

NCAA’s transfer changes are good for athletes and challenging for coaches. Seems fair.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGd%2BcHyTaGhyZ5eku7utxppkpZmemcBuus5maGaqlZi%2FtrXTZpqhnaRitbC4zKCpnqZdrLWquMRmoZqklaN6tMHGoKpmnJWYuaK%2BxKxkp5qRZA%3D%3D